Southern Utah University Committed to Going Green

In accordance with a KCSG.com article, the Cedar City COC (Chamber of Commerce) recently gave Southern Utah University the Outstanding Green Business prize for 2011. This particular yearly award recognizes the efforts by a person or an group towards improving the natural environment utilizing eco friendly strategies. The prize is going to be accepted with pride by the college president Michael Benson at the annual awards dinner organized by the Chamber of Commerce. The 61st annual affair is going to be held on January 12, 2012. Benson attributes the accomplishment to the initiatives made throughout the campus.

SUU's Center for Sustainability

Southern Utah University started a Center for Sustainability to manage the green programs set up at the campus. Formed in 2011, the Center for Sustainability serves as a controlling panel for all green challenges in the campus. The center principally presents advice through training seminars and aimsto teaching the public about ideas involving sustainability by way of eco friendly promo items such as custom cloth bags. The center organizes events with local associations devoted to recycling. SUU's Center for Sustainability additionally collects trash for recycling where possible. Throughout the autumn semester in 2011, the SUU sustainability positioned at least 50 new recycling containers across the campus.

SUU sustainability in the last five years

The SUU sustainability group increased their personnel by three times and recently put in a new mixed material compactor. Even though most of these sustainability endeavors were undertaken during the last 5yrs, the results have been very impressive within the last calendar year. Denise Tomer with the SUU Sustainability Center said that their recycling plan has achieved a lot more over the last six months time than some other schools have in five years. The successes of the program are attributed to the substantial determination displayed by the University administration and the hard work of the students. In spite of necessitating significant financing to help maintain sustainability goals, Southern Utah University is committed to go the extra mile.

Boosting fuel and water efficiency on campus

Besides giving out recyclable grocery bags to inspire eco friendly practices; the school is concentrating on saving water. To improve water economy across campus, SUU has gone to xeriscaping and cultivated drought tolerant landscape varieties. The campus adopted a Maxi-com irrigating system that provides water only if needed. Waterless urinals were also installed around the campus. To decrease usage of energy, the university features video conferencing along with car-pooling. Assigning special value to air quality across the campus, the university has established preventive maintenance systems and plans to plant fifty trees annually.

Price of sustainability

The fifty recycling containers located through out the grounds posed different hurdles. Besides suitable placement, the costs of the containers were furthermore taken into consideration. Tomer claims that the expense for every single recycling container ranges between $20 and $400. It was considered crucial by the sustainability group to create a direct impact on the students. Since there were less expensive trash cans previously installed within the campus, it has been challenging to motivate the public to embrace recycling where possible. The sustainability staff is keen on the improved effectiveness associated with the compactor. The team will in the near future get started weighing the recycled materials to be able to get an estimate of their continued advancements.